Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today asked the people to "put trust" in him to deal with the flood crisis while Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is having his year-end holidays overseas.
 
At a press conference at the Full Gospel Tebernacle church in Subang Jaya where he delivered a Christmas message earlier, Muhyiddin defended Najib's absence at this critical juncture when five states are under water.
 
"The PM has worked very hard. Be fair to him. He's a human being too," he said.
 
"I am in charge, don't worry. Have trust in me," he added.
 
An astounding 90,250 people are displaced by the floods in Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu, Perak and Perlis - the highest in history.
 
"The PM is overseas but I'm in charge here. I am running the country," he said.

No need to declare emergency

 

Muhyiddin also said that there is "no need" for Najib to return home quickly due to the crisis.
 
"If I can't do the job then I will call him to come back," he added.
 
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin also said that there is no need to declare an emergency in the wake of the floods.
 
"There are different criteria before we declare emergency. There must be a complete cut-off of electricity and water supply, for example," he said.
 
He said that the people who are suffering from the floods do not care whether emergency is declared.
 
"For them, it doesn't make a difference. They just want to be saved, and we will focus on that," he said.

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